General Urban Kitchener Updates and Rumours

[ijmorlan]

Not sure if this is the appropriate thread, but I see that the Globe and Mail is reporting that, as part of its reforms to the OMB, the Province is planning to allow municipalities to bar challenges to approved developments near GO Transit, subway or light-rail stations (my bold)  in order to support the goal of boosting density near transit lines.

In theory, this seems like great news, but I suspect that a few community associations in Kitchener and Waterloo will be on the phones to city councillors tomorrow morning....

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toro...e34979676/

This seems crazy. If the challenge process is so messed up that it is even remotely reasonable to bar challenges entirely, then the process is need of severe correction. Presumably the whole point of the process is that somebody could have a reasonable objection, and the process provides a way for them to present the objection and for it to be considered. Just because a location is a good location for intensification doesn’t mean challenges are inherently wrong.

The right solution would be to reform the process everywhere to discourage unreasonable complaints and do a better job of dealing with reasonable concerns.